Tim Hardaway Sr. had some thoughts about NBA players hosting podcasts during the season. Josh Hart had a response, too, but it wasn’t quite what the Hall of Famer was looking for.
Hardaway went on the Crossover Podcast and unloaded on current players who run their own shows while the season is still going. He said it disrespects opponents and the league itself. Adam Silver just let it go, David Stern would’ve said hell no,
Hardaway said.
Hart, who co-hosts the Roommates Show with Knicks teammate Jalen Brunson, saw the clip. His reply on X was simple: I agree.
That’s it. Two words. Enough to get people laughing because Hart obviously does not agree. He and Brunson have been putting out episodes regularly, pulling in guests and telling stories that fans eat up. If Hart actually thought players shouldn’t do this, he’d have to quit his own gig first.
This is the latest version of an old argument. Retired players complain about what the current generation does. Current players shrug and keep cashing checks and building their personal brands. Hardaway’s take is not exactly revolutionary. Plenty of ex-players have said the same thing about podcasts, about social media, about players having too much direct access to fans.
What changed is that players stopped caring what the old guys think. They have platforms now. They don’t need to go through traditional media to get their side of a story out there or to just have fun with teammates on a microphone. Hart and Brunson’s show is popular because it feels authentic, like two friends shooting the breeze. That direct line to the audience is something players from Hardaway’s era never had.
Hart has been doing this for a while. Before the Roommates Show, he hosted LightHarted, which ran until 2020. He is one of several NBA players who have turned podcasting into a side career, and there is no sign the trend is slowing down. The league has not stepped in, and Silver seems fine with it as long as nobody says anything too reckless.
Hardaway’s point about boundaries is fair in theory. There is a line between entertaining content and airing out dirty laundry that makes things awkward in the locker room. But most players are smart enough to know where that line is. And the ones who cross it usually find out quick from the comments section, or from their coaches the next morning.
Hart clearly thinks the whole conversation is funny. He poked the bear, got a reaction, and moved on. That is probably the healthiest approach. The podcasts are not going anywhere, and neither are the retired guys complaining about them.
Leave a Comment